Judge raises questions about Maurice Hawell's prospects of rehabilitation after he, brother Marius Hawell and Andrew David were all found guilty of the sexual assaults in July
Eric Kilburn, 16, says those who put others down over differences are usually the most unhappy people out there'Eric Kilburn Jr's mother knew his feet were exceptionally big when, in his teens, she began needing to spend thousands of dollars to have his shoes specially made. But it turned out they were bigger than anyone else's in the world who was his age - and so were his hands.Sixteen-year-old Eric fits his 13.5in (34cm) feet in American size 23 shoes (UK size 22) - more than double the average of adult men, which is about 9 in the US. His hands, at 9.13in, easily surpass the 7.14in average for his age. Continue reading...
ActionAid says parasitic behaviour' is fuelling the climate crisis and represents corporate capture' of public financeMore than $650bn (494bn) a year in public subsidies goes to fossil fuel companies, intensive agriculture and other harmful industries in the developing world, new data has shown.The subsidies entrench high greenhouse gas emissions and are fuelling the destruction of the natural world, according to a report from the charity ActionAid. Continue reading...
Humanitarian sector says UK will lack credibility at world summits owing to devastating' impact of budget cutsUK aid spending will fall to its lowest level since 2007 unless the government takes urgent remedial action in the autumn budget, a group of more than 100 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the aid and humanitarian sector jointly warn on Wednesday.The budget dedicated to providing aid overseas will be just 0.36% of gross national income (GNI) in 2024 largely owing to huge sums in the budget being diverted to hosting asylum-seekers in the UK, the aid organisations say. Continue reading...
by Richard Partington Economics correspondent on (#6QTA1)
Sir Gary Cooper says micromanagers' risk driving away talent, damaging wellbeing and harming productivityEmployers who force staff to return to the office five days a week have been called the dinosaurs of our age" by one of the world's leading experts who coined the term presenteeism".Sir Cary Cooper, a professor of organisational psychology and health at the University of Manchester's Alliance Manchester Business School, said employers imposing strict requirements on staff to be in the office risked driving away talented workers, damaging the wellbeing of employees and undermining their financial performance. Continue reading...
Prime minister has come under fire recently for clothing, accommodation and glasses provided by Waheed AlliKeir Starmer has declared more free tickets and gifts than other major party leaders in recent times, with his total now topping 100,000 after recent support for his lifestyle from Labour donor Waheed Alli.The prime minister has accepted almost 40 sets of free tickets during his time as Labour leader, mostly to football matches but also 4,000 of hospitality at a Taylor Swift concert and 698 of Coldplay tickets in Manchester. Continue reading...
Marieha Hussain, who depicted Sunak and Braverman as coconuts, says only people who do not understand the term find it offensiveA teacher who was acquitted of a racially aggravated public order offence after she carried a placard depicting Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman as coconuts said she has no regrets and would continue to use the term in future rallies.In her first interview since she was found not guilty at Westminster magistrates court last Friday, Marieha Hussain, 37, said there was a lack of cultural understanding and awareness of the term coconut" and how it is used by diverse communities. Continue reading...
Research released by Starling Bank finds 28% of people have been targeted at least once in the past yearConsumers have been warned that their social media videos could be exploited by scammers to clone their voices with AI and then trick their family and friends out of cash.Scammers look for videos that have been uploaded online and need only a few seconds of audio to replicate how the target talks. They then call or send voicemails to friends and family, asking them to send money urgently. Continue reading...
Policy devised under Conservatives will be reviewed after warnings of chaos for producers and suppliersGovernment plans to force food manufacturers to put not for EU" labels on all meat and dairy products sold across Britain next month have been indefinitely postponed after warnings that the scheme could cause chaos" for producers and suppliers.The government will instead review the policy, which was devised under the Conservative administration. Legislation to implement the changes has yet to be brought in. Continue reading...
by Luke Harding in Pokrovsk, pictures by Alessio Mamo on (#6QTA6)
Russian forces are gathering on Pokrovsk, a logistics base and transport hub, after months of slow, brutal advanceThe Russian soldiers sent to storm Ukrainian positions arrived at a graveyard. Around them was the ruined village of Mykhailivka. From above, Ukrainian spy drones watched. One soldier vanished under a tree. Another jogged towards a shell-walloped cottage. Back at a control observation centre, Maj Oleksandr Fanagey muttered a few words.Seconds later, a Ukrainian kamikaze drone hit a moving Russian. A live video stream showed that he survived but his left leg was injured. The soldier bottom-shuffled towards a patch of grass and tried to pull a bandage from a green backpack. He will die for sure," Fanagey predicted. The enemy doesn't bother evacuating its wounded." Continue reading...
by Vikram Dodd Police and crime correspondent on (#6QT79)
Centre for Women's Justice gathered testimony from more than 200 women alleging attacks by police officer partnersMale police officers accused of domestic abuse were promoted into positions tackling rape and violence against women, rather than being punished, according to a new report.The report from the Centre for Women's Justice is based on the testimony of more than 200 women who allege attacks by their police officer partners. It concludes that, despite promises from police chiefs of change, little progress has been made and failings are systemic". Continue reading...
by Damien Gayle Environment correspondent on (#6QT7B)
Thinktank says funding from oil and gas firms is attempt to divert attention from their role in fuelling the climate crisis'Fossil fuel companies pumped at least $5.6bn (4.2bn) of sponsorship money into motorsports, football, golf and even snow sports in an effort to buy social licence to operate", according to a new report.Almost no major spectator sport remains untouched by oil and gas money, according to research carried out by the New Weather Institute (NWI), a climate thinktank, which traced more than 200 sponsorship deals between sports teams and the industry. Continue reading...
Reece Richards, who was in Netflix's Sex Education, says he was thrown to the ground by officers pursuing a vehicleThe Metropolitan police has said it is investigating an incident in which an actor claimed he was pepper-sprayed by officers during an unlawful arrest".Reece Richards, who appeared in the Netflix series Sex Education, said he was thrown to the ground during a police chase in Fulham, south-west London, on 4 September. Continue reading...
Princess of Wales was listed in the Court Circular after a meeting about early years development of childrenThe Princess of Wales has been listed in the official record of royal events for the first time since her cancer treatment ended.Catherine was featured in the Court Circular after holding a meeting at Windsor Castle about an issue that aides in the past have described as her life's work - the early years development of children. Continue reading...
Elaine DePrince, 77, died of unrelated illness less than 24 hours after trailblazing ballerina's death aged 29The adoptive mother of ballerina Michaela Mabinty DePrince, who died suddenly at age 29 last week, died less than 24 hours later of an unrelated illness. Elaine DePrince died on 11 September during a routine procedure in preparation for a surgery", according to a statement from family spokesperson Jess Volinski. She was 77.The last few days have been even more difficult than most people realize because the family has also been dealing with the death of Michaela's adoptive mother Elaine DePrince," Volinski wrote in a statement on Facebook. Continue reading...
by Josh Halliday North of England editor on (#6QSW9)
Mother of Child D describes feeling she was losing mind' as she pushed for investigationsThe mother of a baby girl murdered by Lucy Letby has demanded an apology from the hospital for dozens" of failings that allowed her daughter to be preyed on" by the nurse.The Thirlwall inquiry was told on Tuesday that Child D, a premature newborn girl, was in a good condition before she was attacked three times by Letby overnight at the Countess of Chester hospital in 2015. Continue reading...
by Patrick Butler Social policy editor on (#6QSWA)
The data shows that 123,000 households, containing 302,000 children, are trapped in poor housing and extreme povertyCharities have called on the government to abolish the benefit cap after the latest official figures showed 123,000 households containing an estimated 302,000 children were subject to it, trapping them in poor housing and extreme poverty.Campaigners said increasing numbers of households were being made homeless and were suffering hardship as a result of the benefit cap, with single parents, female survivors of domestic abuse and children disproportionately affected. Continue reading...
by Libby Brooks Scotland correspondent on (#6QSTS)
Scottish government accepts scaled-down version of event after multimillion-pound' Australian offerThe Scottish government has agreed a rescue deal for a scaled-down version of the 2026 Commonwealth Games to be hosted by Glasgow, after Australian authorities offered a multimillion-pound commitment" to save the event.The Australian state of Victoria abruptly withdrew as host of the 2026 Games in July 2023, blaming escalating costs. Since then, speculation has grown about whether Glasgow could build on its successful hosting of the event in 2014, amid concerns from the Scottish and UK governments about financing the event. Continue reading...
by Lisa O'Carroll Brexit correspondent on (#6QSTT)
Border checks system was due to go live in November but some countries say they are not ready amid worries about lack of testingThe full implementation of an EU entry-exit system introducing fingerprinting and facial recognition checks at ports and airports is expected to be delayed again amid fears over congestion and long queues.Ylva Johansson, the EU's home affairs commissioner, said recently that the new entry-exit system (EES) would be introduced on 10 November with a contingency of delaying it one week to 17 November. Continue reading...
Guardian Media Group announces it is in negotiations with Tortoise Media over world's oldest Sunday newspaperThe Guardian's parent company has announced that it is in formal negotiations with Tortoise Media over the potential sale of the Observer, the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.Guardian Media Group (GMG) told staff it was in negotiations with the Observer after being approached with an offer that was significant enough to look at in more detail. Continue reading...
Victory by separatist Quebecois candidate in once-safe Liberal seat puts pressure on Canadian PM to quitCanada's ruling Liberal party has lost a once-safe seat in Montreal, a result that is likely to put more pressure on the prime minister, Justin Trudeau, to quit.Elections Canada said that with 100% of the votes counted in the parliamentary constituency of LaSalle-Emard-Verdun, the separatist Bloc Quebecois candidate, Louis-Philippe Sauve, had beaten the Liberal candidate, Laura Palestini, by a whisker: 28% to 27.2%. The New Democratic party (NDP) candidate received 26.1%. Continue reading...
by Jessica Elgot Deputy political editor on (#6QSQZ)
Veteran MP says she expected more support from Labour after comments by Tory donor that she should be shot'Diane Abbott has accused Keir Starmer of treating her as a non-person" after comments by the Conservative donor Frank Hester who said that looking at the Hackney MP made you just want to hate all black women" and that she should be shot".Abbott said in a series of interviews that she expected more support from the party in the aftermath of the comments, which were revealed by the Guardian. She was suspended from the party at the time, and said Starmer did not reach out to her. Continue reading...
Baseless theories about suspect Ryan Wesley Routh and his alleged ties to US military spread online after his arrestAfter a man who appears to be obsessive about the war in Ukraine was arrested for allegedly attempting to assassinate Donald Trump on Sunday, rumors and conspiracy theories have spread online attempting to tie Democrats to the two assassination attempts on the former president this election.Ryan Wesley Routh, the suspect charged with gun-related crimes on Monday, previously conducted media interviews about his efforts to recruit volunteer fighters, particularly from Afghanistan, to help Ukraine in its war against Russia. Routh also apparently self-published an e-book on Ukraine in which he said that Iran was free to assassinate Trump as well as me", according to media reports. Continue reading...
by Jessica Elgot Deputy political editor on (#6QSN3)
Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds says government is pressing ahead with plans for new flexible working lawsThe business secretary has defended Labour's plans to introduce new flexible working laws, calling it bizarre" that Jacob Rees-Mogg had launched a war on people working from home".The comments by Jonathan Reynolds come as he and the communities secretary, Angela Rayner, attempt to thrash out the final details of the workers' rights legislation in time for the employment bill that is expected to be introduced in the first fortnight of October. Continue reading...
Hip-hop mogul has faced multiple allegations by women accusing him of sexual assaultSean Diddy" Combs, the hip-hop mogul who has faced a stream of allegations by women accusing him of sexual assault, was arrested late on Monday in New York after he was indicted by a federal grand jury.Damian Williams, the US attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a statement posted on social media late Monday that we expect to move to unseal the indictment in the morning and will have more to say at that time." Continue reading...
Proposals from Universities UK to raise funds for members include reset' on student maintenance loans and grantsUniversities have called for an increase in student tuition fees and government funding to fill a financial hole, according to reports.Universities UK, which represents 141 institutions, have put forward proposals to raise funds for their members, including fee increases, in the face of budget deficits, BBC Radio 4's Today programme said. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: What we know after law enforcement apprehended an armed intruder at a golf course near the former president's home on Sunday Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning.On Sunday, former US president Donald Trump was rushed to safety after Secret Service agents noticed a gunman hiding just a few hundred metres away from him in the bushes of the Trump international golf course in Florida, close to the former president's Mar-a-Lago resort home. The suspect, identified as 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, fled the scene after agents opened fire on him. He was later apprehended by local authorities and charged with two gun-related crimes.Labour | Keir Starmer has suggested he will continue to accept gifts from the Labour peer Lord Alli, as he rejected accusations that he had not followed parliamentary rules relating to gifts of clothes to his wifeEmployment | Insecure work can often be a trap, rather than a stepping stone to a better life, according to new research that tracked the employment of 10,000 people across four years.UK news | The former BBC presenter Huw Edwards has been given a six-month suspended prison sentence, completing an extraordinary fall from grace after admitting accessing indecent photographs of children as young as seven.Europe | The death toll from torrential rain and flooding in central and eastern Europe has risen to at least 16, with several more people missing, as authorities reported deaths in the Czech Republic, Poland and Austria and warned the worst may yet be to come.Health | Tackling Britain's growing ill-health crisis holds the key to increasing growth and the government needs to invest 15bn a year on a radical programme of reforms designed to improve wellbeing and national prosperity, a left-of-centre thinktank has said. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Senior political correspondent on (#6QSKP)
Letter warns abstainers over future conduct, while the one rebel MP apparently retains whipLabour MPs who missed a controversial vote on removing the winter fuel payment from most pensioners have been stripped of potential privileges and warned about their future conduct, the Guardian has been told.While the sanctions have caused some anger, with one of the MPs calling the whips' behaviour feudal", the overall response to the rebellion has been seemingly less severe than in July, when seven MPs lost the Labour whip for rebelling. Continue reading...
Government must invest 15bn a year on a changes to improve wellbeing and prosperity, says thinktankTackling Britain's growing ill-health crisis holds the key to increasing growth and the government needs to invest 15bn a year on a radical programme of reforms designed to improve wellbeing and national prosperity, a left-of-centre thinktank has said.The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) said the UK's worsening health was affecting the supply of workers, worsening productivity, holding back pay, damaging the public finances and adding to regional inequality.Higher taxes on tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy food companies to raise more than 10bn a year by the end of the parliament.Free school meals for all primary schoolchildren, the scrapping of the two-child benefit limit and the restoration of the Sure Start programme of family support.The creation of health and prosperity improvement zones with new powers and national investment to rebuild local health infrastructure - such as swimming pools and green spaces - in the most health-deprived areas.A right to try" for people on health or disability benefits - a government commitment to a new and guaranteed period where people in receipt of benefits can try" work with no risk to welfare status or award level.A new neighbourhood health centre" in every part of the country: a one-stop shop for diagnostics, primary care, mental health and public health with a focus on prevention. Continue reading...
Economists say living standards of poorest women will decline by 21% by 2027-28 if Labour sticks to Tory plansRachel Reeves should announce a significant uplift in public spending in next month's budget, or risk women bearing the brunt of continuing austerity, a group of campaigning economists argue.Analysis by the Women's Budget Group (WBG) suggests the living standards of the poorest women will have declined by a staggering" 21% between 2010 and 2027-28, if Labour sticks to Jeremy Hunt's spending plans. Continue reading...